By Lori Forte Harnick, General Manager, Citizenship and Public Affairs If you had visited Microsoft’s Redmond HQ last Friday, you would have seen hundreds of people chatting and laughing along the roads surrounding main campus. That was the 5K Run/Walk – a highlight of our annual Employee Giving Campaign which kicked off last week. October…

By: Yvonne Thomas, Global Director of YouthSpark Providing all young people with the opportunity to learn computer science is something we feel strongly about at Microsoft. Through our YouthSpark initiative, we work with partners and programs around the world who focus on helping young people learn how to become creators of technology – especially for…

By: Yvonne Thomas, Global Director of YouthSpark Last week we announced big updates to our Microsoft YouthSpark initiative as we cross our two year milestone, and today we're announcing the YouthSpark Youth Advisors, as a way for us to seek ideas, feedback and insight directly from an amazing group of young people and ensure YouthSpark…

By James Rooney, Senior Program Manager, Citizenship and Public Affairs It’s a wearable “panic button” for the unexpected dangerous circumstance. Attached to a bracelet, the panic button will signal to a Windows Phone OS, sending a 30-second voice clip to a pre-identified emergency contact with the phone. A GPS system will keep track of the…

By Yvonne Thomas, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Citizenship & Public Affairs Since the age of five, Hana Yohannes knew she wanted to create apps and work with technology for a living. “I saw so much power in computers in terms of what they can do for us,” she says. The 16 year-old Seattle high school…

Guest Post by Professor Mary Leary, Professor of Law at the Catholic University of America Human trafficking is a social problem as complex as it is horrific. Often referred to as “modern day slavery,” the effect of this victimization is enormous. It encompasses a crime that is both domestic and global, affects both men and…

By Jane Meseck, Director, Corporate Citizenship Last week marked the 2014 Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals, where more than 125 students, representing 34 countries around the world, traveled to Seattle for a week of inspiring presentations, intense hands-on judging and student project showcases – all to compete for the grand prize: $50,000 and a private…

By Lori Forte Harnick, general manager, Citizenship & Public Affairs Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (center) and Lori Forte Harnick, General Manager of Microsoft Citizenship & Public Affairs (fourth from left), on stage during the commitment announcement At the age of 18, Thuy Pham found herself moving from low-end job to low-end job,…

By Jane Broom, Director of Community Affairs, Microsoft Today was a great day, as nearly 800 Washington state students learned that not only have they received the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) for the upcoming academic year, but the award has increased to a total possible award of $22,500 per student over five years (up…